1,000 metres, Women

Two-time champion Suzanne Schulting had mostly focused on long track speed skating since the Beijing Olympics, and had in fact raced the 1,000 m in that sport in Milano. In her absence, there was a wide field of favourites: Hanne Desmet (2025), Kristen Santos-Griswold (2024), Xandra Velzeboer (2023) and Choi Min-Jeong (2022) had divided the World titles since Beijing. Canada’s Courtney Sarault had been most successful in the 2025/26 season, winning three of the four World Tour races, the fourth won being won by Desmet.

All favourites survived the heats, but Santos-Griswold was eliminated in her quarter-final, finishing narrowly behind Velzeboer and Kim Gil-Ri. In the first semi-final, Desmet eliminated herself from contention with a failed overtake attempt on Kim, who fell but was advanced into the final. All three of the 500 m medalists – Velzeboer, Arianna Fontana and Sarault – again made it into the final, with Kim being added and a surprising Gong Li also making it.

Sarault led the pack in the final. As Kim tried to make a move on Velzeboer, the Dutchwomen passed Sarault on the inside to take the lead. Kim then made a great move to pass both Sarault and Velzeboer in a single turn, but going slightly wide Velzeboer immediately grabbed the lead back, Sarault following one turn later. The final lap saw no further changes, giving Velzeboer the win.

For Velzeboer it was her second gold medal of the Games, after the 500 m, while for Sarault it was her third medal of Milano, having medalled in the mixed relay and 500 m. It was the third gold medal in a row for the Netherlands, and the third time the same skater won both the 500 m and 1,000 m, after Yang Yang (A) in 2002 and Wang Meng in 2010.